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ProblemsByVin Index / 2021-HYUNDAI-KONA / COMPLAINTS
Full complaint record · NHTSA

2021 Hyundai Kona owner complaints

108 complaints filed with NHTSA on this vehicle , including 2 reporting a crash, fire, injury, or fatality. Showing the 300 most recent — grouped by category for scanning.

engine 8 complaints shown

56 total in this category · moderate · avg repair $3,100 · see engine cluster analysis →
12/12/2023 ODI #11559743.0

9/13/2022 I took my vehicle in to the dealer stating the vehicle felt like it was going to stall. I was told there was no code found so they couldn't do anything, passed off as nothing wrong. On 4/1/2023 the vehicle stalled while pulling into a parking lot and a car behind me had to honk because it was going to hit me. I took the vehicle to dealer, they kept it two days, I was told it could not be created, no code found. 7/30/2023 the vehicle stalled on me four times, again I left it at the dealer for two days, vehicle was down 3 qts of oil. Oil consumption test started. During all this I had two open cases with Hyundai corporate. One was closed without my knowledge and the second my case was denied for any kind of help, no engine replacement or vehicle repurchase options provided to me. I

12/11/2024 35,000 mi ODI #11630098.0

The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated while driving at undisclosed speeds, the vehicle started accelerating slowly. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. There was an abnormal dinging sound coming from the vehicle. There was no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the battery needed to be replaced, and the vehicle was experiencing excessive oil consumption. The mechanic recommended additional testing. The contact declined the additional diagnostic test. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 35,000.

10/28/2024 94,000 mi ODI #11622271.0

The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated that upon taking the vehicle in for service, she was made aware that the engine oil was abnormally low even though the oil had recently been changed. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V301000 (Engine); but the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 94,000.

10/10/2022 ODI #11488659.0

Oct 4,2022, 2021 Kona, 17,600 miles, was operating on highway when suddenly "check oil" light came on and knockin noises began. Able to pull onto off ramp before deceleration and total stall with oil running out of bottom of car. State Police stayed with vehicle due due heavy truck traffic until AAA towed to Freysinger Hyundai in Mechanicsburg, Pa. Diagnosed engine failure with 3 to 6 month wait for necessary parts for repair. Had to purchase another car at great financial loss.

10/10/2022 ODI #11488711.0

Please refer to Complaint 11488659 filed 10/10/22. I erroneously listed date of incident as 10/4. Incident occurred on 10/5/22, while driving on highway check oil light suddenly came own with knocking and other noises. I was able to pull onto exit ramp before deceleration and total stall with oil running out of bottom of car. I called 911 due to large trucks and traffic stopped behind me. State police came and stayed until AAA towed car to Freysinger Hyundai in Mechanicsburg , Pa (717) 766-8422, where regular maintenance has been done on the car as recently as Sept. 20, 2022. I was advised by [XXX] in Service Dept. That engine had failed with at least 3 months or more wait for replacement parts. I was forced to purchase another vehicle at great expense. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO

10/06/2024 ODI #11618291.0

While driving on the interstate highway the engine stopped. The circumstances surrounding the failure matched those for Kona VINs that were recalled.

10/03/2025 ODI #11691130.0

My car consumes a lot of oil. This is a very similar problem as the wrong tempered piston rings. All this car has used is 5W 20 full synthetic oil., which gets changed every 5000 miles. I would burn around 1 quart every 1000 miles. Dealer solution is to put in 5W 30 full synthetic oil. Got a little better but within a few months, back to burning1 quart every 1000 miles. Dealer is now saying Hyundai won’t fix the issue because car now has 116000 miles on it. This has been a problem for a while.

09/29/2025 ODI #11690311.0

The piston went through the top of my engine with my entire family in the car. We managed to get to a mechanic. And bring it to the dealership. We are very lucky to be alive.

other 4 complaints shown

12/19/2022 ODI #11498069.0

The horn stopped working shortly after purchasing the vehicle in July 2021. We have been waiting for an appointment to get it looked at for months with our local Hyundai dealer but they don't have any service appointments. There have been several close calls with other vehicles and pedestrians and it is only a matter of time before something happens.

12/11/2024 ODI #11630183.0

Antenna is poorly designed and falls off. A quick internet search shows this is a common problem across thousands of Hyundais and Kias (same company). Because drivers are more and more dependent on GPS and radio based emergency notification AND vehicles more and more depend on interactive troubleshooting and reporting this is a safety issue. The manufacturer is aware of it, and it should at the very least be covered under warranty. Because it is a wide spread problem that many dealers appear to be refusing to repair even under warranty it should be a recall issue. My local dealer denied it was a warranty issue, but I have appealed their decision with Hyundai. It should be a safety recall issue.

11/07/2025 ODI #11698269.0

I’ve been having issues that align with the Safety Recall 239 to repair a condition involving the Electric Power Control Unit ("EPCU"). I seem to be having by a coolant leak, my car is overheating, has stalled and has struggled to start. I started noticing something wasn’t right a couple of weeks ago but wasn’t sure what until more “symptoms” have occurred since and I found the recall information. My air conditioner also will stop blowing cool air when the over heating happens. No lights have come on my dash board alerting me of anything needing to be serviced.

10/02/2021 Crash ODI #11435237.0

We bought the car in July and owned it 70 days and 1,530 miles. The Automatic Emergency Breaking engaged several times without any reason. Sometimes at lower speeds <40 and sometimes on the freeway >60. The last time was at 20 mph in a school zone and we were rear ended because of the unexpected stop. We had several near misses on the freeway, but the cars behind us managed to avoid us. The car has severe damage to the bumper, tailgate and Blind Spot warning, parking collision warning and rear cross traffic warning because of the accident and the car has been in the body shop awaiting parts/repair for the nearly entire month of September. No one was hurt and we didn't have the car long enough to take it back to the dealer to have the brake system checked. The accident would not have happen

powertrain 2 complaints shown

13 total in this category · moderate · avg repair $2,500 · see powertrain cluster analysis →
12/31/2022 ODI #11499629.0

The car has never been good on gas or changing gears when drive mode was changed to sport from the beginning. It would say 200 miles to drive I will drive 30 miles and it will go down to 130. Recently the engine light has come on the car stalls when going a very low speeds and appears to have problems changing gears. Now I am receiving a crankshaft position camshaft powertrain system code P0017. Not even a year old 28k miles. I understand there are recalls on this make model and year yet my VIN is not registered.

10/18/2024 96,000 mi ODI #11620582.0

The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle downshifted unintendedly. The check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was able to restart; however, the failure recurred while driving. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the transmission piston ring had failed. The mechanic determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 96,000.

electrical 2 complaints shown

9 total in this category · severe · avg repair $850 · see electrical cluster analysis →
12/26/2022 ODI #11498864.0

Driving 60mph on I-5 in May 2021. Dry roads, no wind. Vehicle suddenly surged (as if we ran over a speed bump at 60mph) despite there being no debris nor damage on the road surface. The surge felt like the ABS system triggered a single pulse, and then car completely turned off: no engine power, no radio power, no cabin lightning power, no dash lighting nor warning lights. Toggling the ignition to accessory didn't help. I had steering authority and brake authority. With no engine power, I pulled over to the side of the road. I inspected the exterior of the vehicle and there was no damage. I entered the vehicle and I was able to restart the vehicle normally. I drove it to a dealership and described the problem, they didn't know what it could be and were 30 days out on booking appointments, s

12/12/2025 ODI #11704777.0

About 2 weeks ago I tried to start my car and the dash board starting flickering and glitch. Roadside assistance said all I needed was a battery. I got a battery and everything seemed fine until today. My car is starting to do the same thing. When I looked up recalls my VIN doesnt match for a recall I think my car should be under. The Battery Charge Sysytem is failing I believe. I have videos.

cruise control 1 complaint shown

12/08/2021 Crash ODI #11443128.0

The contact’s father owned a 2021 Hyundai Kona. The contact stated that while her father was driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was stuck and the seat belt did not lock the contact’s father into his seat during impact. The vehicle crashed into a traffic light pole, went uphill, and then flipped before stopping. The air bags deployed, but the steering wheel air bag caught fire. The contact’s father was able to exit the vehicle. The contact’s father suffered fractured back, chest, ribs, and lumbar spine injuries, as well as head injuries with a brain bleed. The contact’s father was transported to the hospital by ambulance. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a police tow yard and deemed totaled by the insurance company. The manufacturer was not made aware

wheels 1 complaint shown

10/07/2022 ODI #11488340.0

I recently blew out my front tire and put on the Hyundai supplied emergency spare. Within 15 minutes of driving, no more than 10 miles, I was flagged down by another driver because a huge cloud of smoke was coming from my car. I had the car towed into a dealership and they informed me that the spare tire that Hyundai supplied me damaged the transfer casing on the front tire, causing the smoke. I was told to never put that tire on the front of my car or it will again damage my car. I contacted first my local selling dealer. They were no help. They informed me that the spare tire was the correct part and I needed to contact Hyundai directly, which I did. After a week of investigation, [XXX], from their National Consumer Affairs department, indicates that Hyundai has essentially washed thei

steering 1 complaint shown

09/27/2023 ODI #11546966.0

At a stop sign, or red light, car bucks, then accelerates. Steering column is making noise. Took car to dealership..stated they can't look at my car until October 31st, 2023! My car only has 16k miles. If this is a dangerous issue, especially the steering colum noise (possibly a bearing issue or rack and pinion problem)..why am I having to wait until October??

Showing 300 of 108 total complaints. The full federal record is available at nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2021/Hyundai/Kona#complaints.
Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) owner complaint database. Last synced 2026-06-14. Complaints are owner-submitted and unverified — the existence of a complaint is not proof of a defect, but a pattern of complaints around the same component is a signal worth weighing. Verify any specific filing at nhtsa.gov.
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